Digital network service brands such as Airbnb and Uber have not only shaken up traditional industries but have had a huge impact on consumer behaviour, what people are open to, and what they expect when it comes to brand engagement — an impact with ripples felt far beyond the travel and leisure markets.

In recent years, we’ve seen a myriad of direct-to-consumer offers disrupting traditional brand and business models. Dollar Shave Club is perhaps the most salient example. According to Fortune, within just five years of Dollar Shave Club’s launch, P&G’s North American market share in razors fell from 71 percent to 59 percent — setting the ball in motion for Unilever’s acquisition of the direct-to-consumer brand for a cool $1 billion.

However, many of these direct-to-consumer offers are missing a trick by behaving primarily as e-commerce or subscription services and not maximizing the opportunities afforded by their direct customer relationship — so much so that we question whether they are in fact sustainable and fit for long term growth.

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